Razor for dry shaving



July 18, 1950 E. CALLESELLA RAZOR F'oR DRY SHAVING 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed- June 1'7, 1946 u y 1950 E. CALLESELLA RAZOR FOR DRY SHAVING 2 Sheets -sheet 2 Filed June 17, 1946 Patented July 18, 1950 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE Application June 17, 1946, Serial No. 677,215 In Switzerland July 23, 1945 4 Claims. (CI. 30-43) i There are in existence numerous razors for dry shaving. These razors are generally provided with two cutting members for the hair which cooperate with one another. The cutting members are in the majority of cases actuated electrically. However in some razors for dry shaving placed on the market, the cutting members, or one of them are actuated by a member in contact with the skin and driven by friction during the movement of the razor over the part to be shaved. Stillother razors have a manual actuating member for at least one of the cutting members. This actuating member is then connected mechanically by means of transmission members to one or both cutting members.

In a general manner razors actuated electrically for example have the disadvantage that they cannot be used everywhere. Further they become heated during their operation and consequently produce a disagreeab1e sensation at the handle. Razors of which the cutting members are actuated by a member bearing against the part to be shaved are not very practicable as they are unsuitable except in cases where large surfaces are to be shaved. They are therefore not suitable forv the face. Finally known razors provided with a manual operating member cause rapid fatigue of the hand on the one hand and on the other hand they are of complicated construction.

' The present invention has for its subject a razor for dry shaving with manual actuating but of: much simpler construction.

This razor is provided, like some other known razors for dry shaving, with at least one rotary member of which the cylindrical surface has orifices and at least one blade bearing resiliently against the outer face of the said cylindrical member and cooperating with the latter for cutting the hair, but it is distinguished therefrom in that the blade and the rotary member are mounted on a support forming a handle, means being provided for allowing of the easy actuation of the rotary member during the shaving operation, by means of one of the fingers of the hand holding the handle, the speed of movement of the rotary member being of the same order of magnitude as that of the finger which produces its actuation.

One form of construction and some modifications of a razor for dry shaving, forming the subject of the invention are shown diagrammatically and by way of example in the accompanying drawing, wherein- Fig. 1 is a view in partial section, considera-i 2 bly enlarged, of a razor, placed on the epidermis during the cutting operation.

Fig. 2 is a sectional view of the razor.

Figs. 3 and 4 are front views of two modified forms of construction.

Fig. 5 is a view of the razor according to Fig. 1, in operation.

Figs. 6 to 9 are sectional views of four modified forms of construction of the razor.

In these figures I indicates the blade, 2 a shearing roller, of which the surface is cylindrical and 3 a support for these two members. The support forms a handle adapted to enable the razor to be held and for applying it to the epidermis and directing it during the shaving operation.

The blade I is secured to the support 3. For this purpose it is fitted between a surface 4 of the handle and a clamping member 5 secured to the handle by means of screw 6. The clamping member is of general U-shape of which one of the two limbs is drilledwith a hole adapted to receive a spindle l. The latter passes through the shearing roller 2 placed between the two limbs of the clamping member 5. The shearing roller is closed at its two ends by discs 8 provided with a central hole for the passage of the spindle I and also with opening 9. The cylindrical surface of the shearing roller has a plurality of orifices l0 distributed uniformly over the entire peripheral surface of the drum (Fig. 2) or only over a portion of this (Figs. 1 and 6 to 9). The orifices may be circular (Fig. 4) or of elongated shape (Fig. 3) or even of any other suitable shape.

Finally the surface 4 is so provided on the handle that the blade I, fitted between this surface and the clamping member 5 is applied resiliently against the cylindrical surface of the shearing roller.

The operation of the razor for dry shaving described'is as follows:

For shaving himself the user grips the razor by the handle 3 (see Fig. 5) of which the shape is so provided as to present a good grip for the hand in order that the razor is held in this with-- out necessitating a tightening effort on the fingers. Further the face of the handle opposite the thumb is recessed and the lateral walls are so provided as to allow of easy reach of the shearing roller 2 by the thumb and to impart to the latter a rotary or a to and fro movement whilst the hand directs the razor on the place to be shaved. During this movement the hair l2 enters the orifices III of the shearing roller 2,

3 and are held therein (Fig. 1) and brought by this against the cutting edge of the blade. At this moment as the shearing roller continues its rotation the hair engaged is cut by clipping and shaved from the skin.

During its cutting the hair is thus secured at two points, that is to say:

(a) In the epidermis by its roots,

(b) At a point adjacent the epidermis by wedging against the edge of a hole I and the blade I.

By reason of the fact that the hair is secured at two points during the cutting operation, there cannot be produced any traction force thereon so that the razor described allows of a dry shave without any pain. Finally as the blade is applied resiliently to the surface of the shearing roller, the movement of the latter, imparted by the thumb during the shaving operation, suffices to keep the blade constantly sharpened. Thus without any maintenance the-razor is always ready for being used. After shaving the hair which has accumulated in the shearing drum can be removed by tilting the razor and tapping or shaking it so as to cause the hair to pass out through the openings 4.

Figs. 6 to 9 show diagrammatically and by way of example modified forms of construction of the razor above described provided with a member l3 for actuating the shearing drum 2.

In the modified form of construction shown in Fig. 6, the operating member I3 is pivoted on the spindle of the shearing roller 2 and enters the latter through openings having a cross section of which the dimensions are so selected as to enable the operating member to be guided. A return spring (not shown) produces the return of the operating member [3 and of the shearing drum 2 to their normal position, defined by the coming into engagement of a part of the operating member with a part of the support 3, after each push applied to the said member by one of the fingers of the hand holding the handle. In this form of construction, as in all those shown in Figs. '7, 8 and 9, the shearing roller carries out a to and fro movement. It thus follows that only one sector of the periphery of the shearing drum must be provided with orifices I0. This sector preferably has an angle at the most equal to the maximum angle of movement of the shearing roller.

In the form of construction of Fig. '7, the operating member is is hinged to a lever l 1 driving the shearing roller. The shearing roller 2 is returned to its normal position by a spring Hi. This normal position is defined by the coming into engagement of a portion of the actuating member or of the lever H with a portion of the handle 3. According to the modification shown in Fig. 8, the actuating member I3 is pivoted on a spindle I9 secured to the support 3. One of the ends of the said member engages with an opening l6 provided in the shearing roller, whilst the other end is adapted to be actuated by the thumb of the hand holding the handle.

Finally in the modified form of construction shown in Fig. 9, the operating member I3 is hinged to a resilient member I6 of which one end is secured rigidly to the handle by means of a securing member [1, whilst its other end engages with an opening l8 provided in the shearing roller.

From the foregoing it will be seen that the razor, the subject of the invention, has, rela tively to all known razors for dry shaving, the great advantage of being provided with a shearing roller actuated either directly or by means of an actuating member connected directly to the shearing roller, so that the speed of movement of the shearing roller corresponds approximately to that of the finger by which it is actuated. By reason of this feature, the speed of rotation of the said roller may be adapted to the speed of movement of the razor on the epidermis, so as to obtain a clean cutting and without plucking cr pulling force being applied to the hair clamped between the blade and the edge of an orifice of the roller. Further the shearing roller may be actuated without fatigue by one of the fingers of the hand holding the razor by its handle. This is also due to the fact that the speed of movement of the shearing roller corresponds approximately to that of the finger actuating the said shearing roller, contrary to all known razors for dry shaving wherein the shearing member or the blade moves at a very high speed. In fact in existing razors for dry shaving actuated electrically, mechanically or manually, for avoiding the pulling out of hair, manufacturers have provided a very high speed of movement of the shearing members. As a result the hair can no longer enter the orifices of the shearing member easily, that is to say that they do not have the necessary time for entering at once completely so that they are cut in short successive sections. In the case of manual actuation of the said member the thrust necessary for this actuation at a high speed of the shearing member is already sufiicient for producing rapid fatigue. On the contrary in the case of the razor described, the user can easily adapt the speed of rotation which he imparts to the roller to the speed of movement which he imparts to the razor. In fact this adaptation is effected automatically and without necessitating any reflexion on the user the more so as the speed of movement of the shearing roller is approximately the same as that of the finger by which it is actuated.

Some modified forms of construction of the razor forming the subject of the invention have been described above with reference to the accompanying drawing, but it will be understood that this razor is capable of being constructed in other forms of construction. For example it is possible to provide a number of blades I resting resiliently on the shearing roller arranged for example on opposite sides of the axis of the cylinder. It is also possible to provide a handle arranged and shaped in such a manner as to allow of actuation of the shearing roller directly by means of a finger other than the thumb of the hand holding the handle. It is also possible to provide an actuating member secured to the shearing roller and located coaxially to the latter.

Finally the blade may be placed with its cutting edge parallel to the axis of rotation of the shearing roller (Fig. 3) or inclined (Fig. 4) relatively to this axis.

I claim:

1. A manually operated razor for dry shaving comprising a resilient blade with a cutting edge, a rotatable cylindrical member having a part of its peripheral surface engaged by said cutting edge and having at least a portion of its peripheral portion provided with radial holes each forming with said peripheral surfaces a second cutting edge coacting with said first cutting edge, and a handle rotatably supporting said member and holding on one face said first cutting edge in resilient engagement with a part of said peripheral surface, said handle having opposite lateral curved edges for engagement by the four fingers opposite the thumb, said handle also having a face opposite the first mentioned face, said opposite face having a concavity facing the thumb whereby articulations of the palm and the thumb are entirely free to accomplish the engagement of the thumb with the cylindrical member required for operating said cylindrical member.

2. A manually operated razor for dry shaving comprising a resilient blade with a cutting edge, a rotatable cylindrical member having a part of its peripheral surface engaged by said cutting edge and having at least a portion of its peripheral portion provided with radial holes each forming with said peripheral surface a second cutting edge coacting with said first cutting edge, a U-shaped clamping member providing by its legs journals for said rotatable member and holding on one face said first cutting edge in resilient engagement with said peripheral surface, and a handle fixed to said clamping member and having opposite lateral curved edges for engagement by three fingers, the index finger, the middle and the ring finger, and one face adapted for engagement by the middle part of said fingers, said handle also having a face opposite to the face of the clamping member holding the first cutting edge provided with a concavity facing the thumb whereby articulations of the thumb and the palm are entirely free to accomplish the engagement of the thumb with the cylindrical member required for operating said cylindrical member.

3. A manually operated razor for dry shaving comprising a resilient blade with a cutting edge, a rotatable cylindrical member having a part of its peripheral surface engaged by said cutting edge and having at least a portion of its peripheral portion provided with radial transversely elongated holes extending at an angle to the axis of said member each forming with said peripheral surface a second cutting edge coacting with said first cutting edge, and a handle rotatably supporting said member and holding on one face said first cutting edge in resilient engagement with a part of said peripheral surface, said handle having opposite lateral curved edges for engagement respectively by the end portions of three fingers, the fore finger, the middle and ring fingers and the palm portion directly adjacent said fingers, said handle having a curved end for engagement respectively by the ring finger and the little finger, said face of said handle being shaped to conform to the middle part of said first three fingers. and an opposite face with a concavity facing the thumb whereby articulations of the thumb and the palm are entirely free to accomplish the engagement of the thumb with the cylindrical member required for operating said cylindrical member.

4. A manually operated razor for dry shaving comprising a resilient blade with a cutting edge, a rotatable cylindrical member having a part of its peripheral surface slantingly engaged by said cutting edge and having at least a portion of its peripheral portion provided with radial holes each forming with said peripheral surface a second cutting edge coacting with said first cutting edge, and a handle rotatably supporting said member and holding on one face said first cutting edge in resilient engagement with a part of said peripheral surface, said handle having opposite lateral curved edges for engagement by the four fingers opposite the thumb, said handle also having a face opposite to said first face with a concavity facing the thumb whereby articulation of the thumb and the palm are entirely free to accomplish the engagement of the thumb with the cylindrical member required for operating said cylindrical member ETTORE CALLESELLA.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 489,995 Stenberg Jan. 17, 1893 664,388 Drosse Dec. 25, 1900 2,213,872 Trachtenberg Sept. 3, 1940 2,304,567 Hanley Dec. 8, 1942 

